by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

BOSTON -- It is 3 in the morning Thursday at Fenway Park, and hundreds of Boston Red Sox fans are still on on the field, savoring every last moment of their World Series championship.

Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster, wearing street clothes, is actually on the mound, pitching to his family and friends.

It is 2:57 a.m.

Yes, this night - beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-1 to win the series in six games - meant that much to the Red Sox organization and its legion of fans.

It has been 95 years since the Red Sox last won a World Series championship at Fenway, and it was as if everyone wanted to remember this moment, just in case it doesn't happen again this century.

They are taking pictures of the scoreboard that reads: 2013 World Champions. They are on the warning track in front of the Green Monster. They are running the bases. They are on the pitcher's mound. Home plate. The dugout.

Security keeps making announcements for them to leave, but no one's listening. It took two hours just to clear family and friends from the Red Sox clubhouse so the players could shower.

If truth be told, the Red Sox players relished sharing this historic moment with their fans, spending more time on the field than inside the privacy of their clubhouse.

"It was crazy, absolutely crazy,'' Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia says. "It was just an unbelievable feeling to do this in front of our fans.

"To be honest with you, it was hard to keep the emotions down.''

This is why Pedroia, who embodies the spirit of this Red Sox team, ran around the field after the game carrying a Boston Strong flag, symbolizing the faith of the city after the Boston Marathon bombing. Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes was next, racing to nearly every part of the field, to every section of fans, to let them be part of it.

"We didn't put Boston on our back,'' Gomes said, "Boston put us on its back. I don't think a win-loss record sums up how much we care.''

Well, for the record, the Red Sox played 178 games during the regular season and postseason.

They won 108 of them.

"This city is so passionate,'' Red Sox catcher David Ross said, "and when you're able to go this far, you don't want to let them down.''

The Red Sox have won three World Series in the last 10 years, more than any franchise in baseball this century, but this one was like no other.

This one helped heal a city from the devastating April 15 bombings, and on this night, brought pure, unadulterated joy.

"Sometimes, you recognize baseball history as its being written,'' Red Sox vice president Charles Steinberg said. "This year, we were recognizing American history as its being written.

"For the Red Sox to have the honor of playing a small role in the healing of the city, is something that each of these players should really be proud of for the rest of their lives.''

It was the bombing, manager John Farrell said, that unified the Red Sox as well as the city. The players hung out together on off-days. They had more team dinners together than with their own families. They even went to baseball and football games together on off-days.

"We took it upon ourselves,'' Farrell said, "to have a positive impact on a city, and the individuals who were suffering. They get it. They get there's a place in our city, that we represent something significant, and guys embraced that and relished that.

"We knew this was a moment that this group has a chance to not only be special, but to do something special.

"This was a team in every sense of the word.''

And they embraced their role, however small, in helping their town.

"This is a city that we've been though a lot of situations,'' MVP David Ortiz said. "Sometimes, bad things got to happen for us to get the message. And we got the message. Everybody stayed together.

"And it showed the whole world that this is the best of every place.''

This isn't the most talented team the Red Sox had in the last 10 years. There are no Cy Young or MVP candidates. No one won more than 15 games. Not a single player hit more than 30 homers.

Yet, no one played more like a team, knowing they now had a purpose, believing it was destiny they would win the World Series.

It was playing with this team, Ortiz said, that made this achievement more special than either of the previous two World Series championships.

"I say this because this is a team that we have a lot of players with heart,'' said Ortiz, who batted .688, carrying a team whose offense came in fits and starts. "We probably don't have the talent that we have in '07 and '04. But we have guys that are capable to stay focused and do the little things. And when you win with a ballclub like that, that's special.

"When we started rolling, no one could stop this train.''

The Red Sox team was so close-knit, Pedroia said, it reminded them of their high-school and college days.They were at Fenway Park by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, more than 7 hours before the first pitch. It was that way all season, a bond so strong, that nothing could prevent them from winning a championship.

They were a confident team, believing that their heart and character would overcome any talent deficiencies.

"We talked about winning the World Series in spring training,'' Dempster said. "Every time you asked Jonny [Gomes] how he was feeling, and he'd say, "One step closer to the parade.''

That World Series parade happens to be Saturday in downtown Boston.

"We relied on each other all year,'' Pedroia said. "We knew there was going to be some tough times. But we were relentless. We knew that if one guy doesn't get the job done, someone else would do it for him. It was like that for 178 games.

"It was fun just showing up here, looking to the guy next to you, and knowing this guy would help you win games.

"It's been a blast to be part of this.''

Certainly, this group of players don't have the zaniness of 2004 or the talent of 2007, but they sure brought character back in vogue.

The Red Sox had only one player (Ortiz) who hit more than 25 homers, with no one hitting higher than .310. No one won more than 15 games. They finished with the second fewest saves.

And yet, they won the most games, led the league in runs scored and had the second-best ERA in the powerful American League East.

"Really, we're a team of overachievers,'' Dempster said. "We don't have anybody out of the ordinary, but a lot of consistent guys who know how to win.''

And believe they will win.

The Red Sox were facing Cardinals rookie sensation Michael Wacha on Wednesday, knowing that he was pitching like the reincarnation of Bob Gibson. Wacha was 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in the postseason, and had shut them down in Game 2 at Fenway. He'd already won one elimination game, in the NL Division Series against the Pirates, and twice beat presumed Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw in the NL Championship Series.

Yet, there was absolutely no fear by the Red Sox, with Pedroia even letting his teammates in on a secret while taking batting practice on Tuesday.

"We got him,'' Pedroia. "No problem. We got him.''

Wacha lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up six earned runs - twice as many as he allowed the entire postseason. Shane Victorino, who had two hits the entire series, provided most of the damage with a three-run double in the third inning, blowing the game open.

Yes, the Red Sox got him.

And everyone else in their wake.

Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli, haunted by his only previous World Series memory when his Texas Rangers' team three times was within a strike of winning in 2011 only to lose to the Cardinals, says the ghosts have been exorcised.

"We came together,'' he said, "and just got better as the season went on. We learned how everyone plays. We never got ahead of ourselves. We just go out there and try to win that day. Things kept rolling.

"And now, we're world champs.''

Certainly, much of the credit will go Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, who cleansed a toxic 93-loss season with his six-week spending spree, picking up seven free agents, but it was the players who made it work.

"The feel was different, the clubhouse was different,'' Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz said. "Having Farrell back in the mix was big for us. A lot of the guys were here when he was the pitching coach and had a relationship with him. He basically ran a really relaxed clubhouse and then expected people to do your business between the lines.

"The front office did an awesome job of putting this team together.

"We've got a lot of empty champagne bottles lying around.''

It was Korbel, and man, did it go down smoothly.

"When we got into the season, you don't know what the outcome is going to be,'' Cherington said, "but you felt like this was a different group of people. The way they were coming together, the way they were giving it up for each other, completely selfless.

"To have this many talented players be as selfless as they were, it just a lot of fun to be around.

"It'll probably sink in a few weeks from now."

But the memory of this night, Oct. 30, 2013, will live forever.

"Hopefully,'' Farrell said, we won't have to wait another 95 years to do it again.''

Maybe not, but soon enough the Red Sox discovered that, try as they might, they can't revel in this improbably glorious season forever. At 3:27, they finally turned the lights out at Fenway.